Meditation Archives - Susan von Seggern

Jai Uttal Returns to Marin Center for A Solo Acoustic Concert December 17

12/12/2022 by Susan von Seggern

San Rafael, CA – November 29, 2022 – Grammy nominated spiritual music pioneer Jai Uttal will perform an acoustic solo concert at The Showcase Theater at Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags in San Rafael, CA 94901, at 7pm on Saturday, December 17.

Stepping into a new and deeper level of vulnerability, Grammy nominee and World Music pioneer Jai Uttal presents an intimate solo acoustic performance of inspiring songs and devotional chants. Jai will accompany himself on a variety of instruments and create a space of invocation, prayer, and heartfelt expression. Join Jai and the Bay Area Kirtan community for this meditative and heart opening event during this special holy season of love. Tickets are $30-$59 in advance here.

Jai Uttal is a Grammy nominated sacred music composer, recording artist (22 albums to date!), multi-instrumentalist, and ecstatic vocalist, combining influences from India with elements from American rock and jazz, along with Jamaican reggae, Brazilian samba, and more, to create a stimulating and exotic multi-cultural fusion that is truly world spirit music.

Having travelled extensively in India, where he met many great saints and singers, Bhakti Yoga became his personal path. Jai has been performing and teaching around the world for nearly 50 years, creating a safe environment for people to open their hearts and voices
Jai is a favorite performer on the yoga festival circuit, playing to thousands each summer at numerous events. He also leads his own workshops and retreats that deepen yogis’ practice of the heart-based Bhakti yoga method, Kirtan, that is chanting the names of God to further enlightenment.

With a unique boomer upbringing in the NYC music biz of the 50s and 60s (as a child he was at the session where Mitch Ryder recorded “Devil With a Blue Dress”!) Uttal understands true musicianship and has worked with top musicians including Bill Laswell, Don Cherry, and his musical guru Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, throughout his career.

Additionally, his story flows with that of his generation – in the 70s he studied with Khan in the Bay Area while making extended trips to the Indian Ashram of Neem Karoli Baba the same guru who influenced Ram Dass’ classic Be Here Now. Maharajji, as the guru is known to his students, encouraged the practice of bhakti (devotional) yoga as expressed through kirtan, the call-and-response chanting of sacred names, over and over again until they become deeply instilled in the consciousness, providing an experience of profound peace and spiritual insight.

The 80s were dedicated to his music career which took off in 1990 with his first album Footprints that featured Don Cherry and other notables, launching him into the exploding world music scene. Now, marriage, fatherhood, a Grammy nomination, and 32 years of worldwide acclaim later this acoustic solo show in Marin continues his legacy.

2020 Has Been a Surprisingly Busy Year for Revered Spiritual Artist Jai Uttal, Continuing with New Single “Time and Again” Out Tomorrow

11/16/2020 by Susan von Seggern

Fairfax, CA – Noted for his heartfelt renditions and upbeat barn burners of classic Kirtans (Sanskrit chants from ancient India), and his first instrumental album Gauri’s Lullaby, currently in consideration for a New Age Grammy, his notable summer single “Behind the Walls” inspired by his work with inmates at San Quentin, and the horrible novel coronavirus outbreak currently taking place there, as well as hosting a sold out online Kirtan camp last summer, Jai Uttal is excited to announce tomorrow’s release of his new single, “Time and Again.” The song is available in all audio formats here.

“Time and Again” is the first single release from Jai’s upcoming album, Songs of the Mystics, that will be coming out next year. “Time and Again” was composed by Jai and his wife Nubia Teixeira, based on a song of the 16th century Indian Bhakti poetess, Mirabai. Though scorned by the presiding culture of the time, Mirabai’s passionate and sensual devotion to her Lord, and her complete disregard for social mores, became a clarion call to the poor and marginalized masses. She was, indeed, a mystic revolutionary!

‘Songs of the Mystics’ will include re-imaginings of songs and poems by many of the Bhakti saints, but Jai thought it appropriate to start with Mirabai. Her message and mood are timeless and resonate even today in the hearts of all devotees. About recording this track in all the insanity that is 2020, Jai notes, “I decided to release this song now because it seems that at this moment in history, more than ever, we are being called upon to act as well as to pray, each in our own way, that spirit will come and lift the mountain of chaos and division and divisiveness and pain from the world so that we can all breathe and our hearts can freely love once again.”

As with everything, the COVID-19 crisis has affected Jai’s recording process, noting that for this single, “My entire recording process has changed during this pandemic. Here in Northern California we’re still mostly in quarantine. So, this recording used pieces from various sources. The lovely background voices by the Pagan Love Choir were from a live concert I did of this song in February, which was multitracked. The accordion was recorded two years ago over a guitar demo I had at the time of the song. The rest of it was produced in Ben Leinbach‘s little studio that is now divided by huge plexiglass walls. Awkward, but we got the job done. I couldn’t let the pandemic squash creativity. Creativity is medicine!”

Besides COVID-19, the intense fires of Northern California and the social and political strife has also affected everything Jai’s life and he notes, “2020 has, indeed, been a year full of challenges, but it has also been a year of deep healing, personal growth and more intimate family interaction. It’s also been a time of deep connecting with my extended family and greater Bhakti community. I’ve been doing weekly live stream concerts and Kirtans, that have been a great point of focus for myself in terms of preparing and creating new songs and practicing my older songs, as well as bringing our extended Bhakti family and community together over Zoom. The pandemic has also pushed us to create online Kirtan Camps. These events have been greatly appreciated, and have enabled people from all over the world, who would never have been able to attend a Kirtan Camp in person, to join us The Online Camps have also helped me organize my own thoughts, experiences and music into a much more potent and accessible way of teaching. We’re in the middle of our second camp now.”

The Hindi verse, of “Time and Again,” ‘Meera Kahe Prabhu Giridhara Nagara, Hey Govinda Hey Gopala’, calls out: ‘Oh Lord of Mira, Govinda, Gopala, lifter of the mountain.’ One might paraphrase this as: ‘Oh my Beloved, please lift this insurmountable mountain of suffering and separation, that I may be yours forever!’

Jai adds, “I hope we all can taste a droplet of Mirabai’s intense, oceanic devotion.”

Revered Spiritual Artist Jai Uttal Announces New Single Inspired by his Work at San Quentin and the Coronavirus Outbreak there, “Behind the Walls”

08/11/2020 by Susan von Seggern

Fairfax, CA – Noted for his heartfelt renditions and upbeat barn burners of classic Kirtans (Sanskrit chants from ancient India), and recently his instrumental album Gauri’s Lullaby, as well as hosting a sold out online Kirtan camp, Jai Uttal is excited to announce today’s release of his new single, “Behind the Walls”. The track was inspired by his years of working with the inmates at California’s legendary penitentiary, San Quentin, and the horrible novel coronavirus outbreak currently taking place there. The song is available in all audio formats here, and on YouTube here.

While Jai first performed in prisons in the early 70s when touring with his good friend, noted spiritual leader Ram Dass, it wasn’t until more recently that he began performing at San Quentin. Working with the interfaith program, ‘Chaplain of the Heart’, Jai and a small group of musicians led semi-regular Kirtan programs in the San Quentin Chapel. These concerts began in 2011 and the response from the incarcerated men was incredibly enthusiastic. Because of the connections and friendships he made in the prison, Jai felt particularly disturbed about the disaster happening ‘Behind The Walls’.

For this release Jai is connecting with the group Re:Store Justice, and asking listeners to donate to their advocacy programs. Of Re:Store Justice he notes “they do incredible work with the prisoners while they’re inside the system as well as when they’re released. The folks who run it are completely committed to reforming the prison system from the inside out. In fact, one of the founders has been incarcerated and really knows what is needed in there. Please check them out and, if you feel so moved, please make a donation. Everyone is important, every human being deserves medical attention and care in times of deep crisis.”

The film Mantra: Sounds Into Silence featured one of Jai’s kirtan concerts in the prison. Jai notes, “the director also interviewed a bunch of the guys and it’s amazing to hear how completely transformative the Kirtan experience was for them. I also found out that on death row my CDs are the most requested by the residents of that deeply depressing wing of San Quentin Prison. I am so glad that my music can offer some solace to them.”

Jai has written an extensive artist statement about the single, he says:

“I first started singing in penitentiaries around 1973, when I was touring with Ram Dass. We would go into the prisons and I would sing and share a Kirtan as part of his presentation to the inmates. I found those experiences intense and profound. But it wasn’t until decades later that I began to go semi-regularly into San Quentin prison to sing for the inmates and share with them the practice of Kirtan, as part of an interfaith program that had been in place for some time.

Standing outside of San Quentin can be quite intimidating, with its many huge gates and high walls, but, once inside, in the sanctuary of their small chapel, with a room full of enthusiastic men, that trepidation completely disappears. Of course, it took me a while to find my way to be authentic and real with the men; to not see them as ‘other’. But once that happened, I found a community of brothers there who were so incredibly committed to their spiritual practices and to finding inner freedom within the confines of their incarceration. Their dedication and deep spiritual longing was completely inspiring to me.

So, I went again and again with a small group of musicians and, after a while, I saw that these men, who at first seemed so hard, we’re melting and smiling and singing and expressing so much emotion. In fact, many of the men got off of their seats and danced like wild Bengali Bauls. After one of the kirtans, a man came up to me and said “This is the REAL San Quentin! This is what you have to tell everyone. Nobody believes this. THIS is the REAL San Quentin. We are all brothers here.” With tears in his eyes, he referred to the prison as “The House of Healing”.

So, when I heard about the intense Covid surge inside the prison and how little the authorities we’re doing about it, I was affected very deeply, and personally concerned with the plight of some of my friends there. It’s amazing to me that what’s happening behind those walls is going unnoticed by most of the residents of Northern California. In fact, the devastation that’s occurring because of the virus in so many penitentiaries has just been a footnote in the national news. San Quentin was pretty much infection free until an incomprehensible decision by the prison board transported a bus load of men from a prison in Chino, California, to San Quentin, in Marin County, California. Many of the transportees carried the virus, some already showing severe symptoms. With almost no medical facilities or possibilities for quarantine, the virus spread like a wildfire and began to decimate the San Quentin population. This is still happening.

So I decided to write and record this song, ‘Behind The Walls’ and release it as soon as possible so people could know what’s happening in their backyard. (San Quentin is about a ten-minute drive from our home!). Thank you so much for listening to my song and reading my words. Much love, Jai”

DJ Taz Rashid Offers Free Music for Streaming Yogis During Covid-19 Shelter in Place

05/06/2020 by Susan von Seggern

Chicago, IL – DJ Taz Rashid, one of America’s top yoga DJs, and the programmer for Spotify’s Official Yoga Playlist of the Month, is pleased to announce an offering to the yoga community and the vast number of teachers who have moved online due to Covid-19 shelter in place orders that are keeping the majority of Americans homebound, free music to use for their Zoom, Skype, IG Story, and Facebook Live online classes.

If yogis are using streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple music, etc. to play music during their classes, they can use ANY of DJ Taz Rashid’s music in their yoga classes in their FREE to the public live streaming yoga or meditation classes. Teachers can just play the music in the background of the class. Taz encourages them to share their playlists with their students as well.

All of DJ Taz Rashid’s music on Spotify is at https://open.spotify.com/artist/2XvQyfssNbXYWcOkKaWYlx?si=6ZDuH81JSzGVjbzZhO2v5Q and on Apple Music at https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dj-taz-rashid/996269726. If yogis prefer to create their own playlists from downloads, Taz’s top songs can be downloaded from https://mybestplaylist.lpages.co/dj-taz-rashid-a-gift-of-music-free-music-ig-videos/.

In addition to offering free music, DJ Taz will share classes to his socials when teachers share on their social media and give credit. If teachers share on Instagram or Facebook and tag him under @djtazrashid, he will repost to his over 40k followers. He requests teachers add in the video description “Music used with permission by original artist DJ Taz Rashid” and to be sure to tag him at @djtazrashid. This will ensure that the social media networks will not mute the music or take the class down.

Taz notes, “this is such a challenging time for the entire yoga community between studios on hiatus, and festivals cancelling. I’ve had six cancellations and fully expect 10-20 more so I really relate to what my teaching brothers and sisters are dealing with. We hope this helps at least a little during this crazy time.” Like so many yogis he’s moved his own work online and his schedule is at https://www.djtazrashid.com/copy-of-tour-2020.

If teachers are offering yoga and meditation class videos on paid platforms, or on-demand classes for sale, Taz is offering discounted rates for sync rights for these classes as well. Teachers interested in using his music for paid classes should email taz@djtazrashid.com to discuss.

Retreat Celebrating Love, Connection, and The Divine Feminine Energy Taking Place in Desert Hot Springs, May 14-18, 2020

03/13/2020 by Susan von Seggern

Desert Hot Springs, CA – Shakti Fest, the annual yoga and spiritual music festival celebrating the divine feminine energy of the universe will take place in a more intimate “Immersion” format this year. The retreat will take place May 14-18th at Miracle Springs Resort and Spa, 10625 Palm Dr, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240.

Shakti Immersion is a 3 to 5-day conscious yoga and music retreat, condensing everything attendees have come to love from the festival into an intimate and immersive celebration. The event will be a gathering of like minds and hearts, uniting in consciousness. As always Shakti will feature a wide variety of yoga classes, spiritual workshops, and music, now in a gorgeous resort spa setting, and even closer to the Coachella Valley and Los Angeles!

With this potent design, Shakti Immersion will feature popular yoga teachers from Shakti Fest – Shiva Rea, Saul David Raye, Govind Das and Radha, Hemalayaa, Johanna Beekman, Mas Vidal, Dharma Shakti, Sita Devi, and desert favorite Kristin Olson.

A more intimate setting for spiritual music will benefit both players and listeners with artists including Krishna Das, Amritakripa, DTO Music, Kirtaniyas, Krishna’s Kirtan, Larisa Stowe & Shakti Tribe, Michael Hathaway, and Rob and Melissa.

Similarly, in this year of perfect vision, the workshops bring spirituality into focus with Michael Brian Baker, Dawn Cartwright, Zoe Kors, Dr. Manoj Chalam, Dharma Devi, Josie Keys, Mirabai Devi, Greg Friedman, and Syamarani. Additionally, pre- and post- intensives with Michael Brian Baker, Saul David Raye, and Dawn Cartwright will take place on May 14 and 18.

Nestled in the foothills of Desert Hot Springs, the resort overlooks beautiful Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. Beneath clear blue skies, one can calm the mind, enjoy spectacular landscapes, soak everyday cares away in eight natural hot mineral pools and add on spa treatments to complement this amazing weekend. Discovered centuries ago by the Cahuilla Indians, these springs are known worldwide for their amazing therapeutic benefits. Just miles away from the Joshua Tree National Park, and 12 miles away from Palm Springs International Airport, the 4 star rated Miracle Springs Resort & Spa rooms are fully equipped with free wi-fi, flatscreen TVs, outdoor space, microwaves, and refrigerators. In addition to the regular resort amenities, Shakti Immersion will also feature a curated selection of 30 of Shakti’s most popular clothing, craft, yoga gear, jewelry, and wellness vendors for attendees’ shopping pleasure.

As always, Shakti is an amazing event for families celebrating the divine feminine energy of their own mothers, sisters, and daughters, and people of all ages coming together to connect on a truly divine level.

As festival producer Bella Silberfein notes, “We are so excited to announce this gathering of like-minds and family. A weekend of pure love, ecstatic joy, meditation, sacred music, and all of the offerings we have come to love from our festivals, condensed into its richest form. Namaste.”

Jai Uttal Returns to The Freight & Salvage for a Valentine’s Day Bhakti Celebration with the Pagan Love Choir

02/12/2020 by Susan von Seggern

Berkeley, CA – Celebrated Bay Area Kirtan musician Jai Uttal will return to The Freight & Salvage for his 3rd annual Valentine’s Day Bhakti Concert, this time with four amazing local songbirds, Sandy Cressman, Prajna Vieira, Lakshmi Devi, and Sandy Griffith, plus noted NorCal producer Ben Leinbach on bass.

This concert will be a unique opportunity to hear Jai’s music arranged for a heavenly rainbow of five exquisite voices. All veterans of Jai’s full band, The Pagan Love Orchestra, Prajna, Lakshmi and the two Sandys will share their transcendent vocal visions of Jai’s songs and bring the ‘music of the spheres’ to the historic Freight & Salvage. Jai will be acoustic and ‘unplugged,’ creating an intimate and mystical environment in which to share his songs and his soul. This completely new experience promises to be a treat for the ears and the heart.

Jai hosting a Valentine’s Day Concert is appropriate as sacred music is one of the main modalities of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love and devotion. As noted in Yoga Journal, “the Sanskrit word bhakti comes from the root bhaj, which means “to adore or worship God.” Bhakti yoga has been called “love for love’s sake” and “union through love and devotion.” Bhakti yoga, like any other form of yoga, is a path to self-realization, to having an experience of oneness with everything.”

“Bhakti is the yoga of a personal relationship with God, At the heart of bhakti is surrender,” says Uttal in the story.

Since its founding in 1968, the Freight & Salvage has been deeply rooted in that aspect of Berkeley’s culture that embraced freedom, justice, acceptance, collaboration, and innovation. The Freight is mission-driven, and has become a world-famous venue for traditional music – music that is rooted in and expressive of the great variety of regional, ethnic, and social cultures of peoples throughout the world.

With the Winter Solstice passing of American Bhakti yoga pioneer Ram Dass, Jai notes, “This concert is especially meaningful, as it’s my first public performance after the passing of my friend and guru-brother, the beloved spiritual leader Ram Dass. I hope that the Bay Area’s Bhakti family can come together to celebrate love and life and our dear friend’s memory. My Valentine’s Day gigs at the Freight & Salvage have been filled with so much spirit and good energy. The Freight is one of the most lovely and important venues in the Bay Area, and I’m always so touched by the care and respect they have for the musicians who perform there. I look forward to a night of joy, celebration and introspection.”

Tickets for the show are $15-$30, and along with a great live video of Jai’s new single “Psalm” with the Pagan Love Choir, are available at https://www.thefreight.org/e/jai-uttal-and-the-pagan-love-choir-77051500111/.

Revered Spiritual Artist Jai Uttal Announces New Single, Valentine’s Day Sacred Music Concert, and 18th Annual Summer Kirtan Camp

02/12/2020 by Susan von Seggern

Fairfax, CA – Noted for both his heartfelt renditions and upbeat barn burners of classic Kirtans (chants of the Sanskrit names of God), Jai Uttal is excited to announce the release of his new single, “Psalm”, a modern revisioning of the ancient 23rd Psalm of King David.
The song is available in all audio formats here, and on YouTube here.

Jai will perform “Psalm” at a special Valentine’s Day Concert at Berkeley’s well-loved Freight & Salvage with the Pagan Love Choir. This concert will be a unique opportunity to hear Jai’s music arranged for a heavenly rainbow of five exquisite voices. All veterans of Jai’s many-faceted performances, these four exquisite Bay Area vocalists, Sandy Cressman, Prajna Vieira, Lakshmi Devi, and Sandy Griffith, plus noted NorCal producer Ben Leinbach on bass, and acclaimed trombonist Jeff Cressman, will share their transcendent vocal visions of Jai’s songs and bring the ‘music of the spheres’ to this historic venue. Jai will be acoustic and ‘unplugged,’ creating an intimate and mystical environment in which to share his songs and his soul. This completely new experience promises to be a treat for the ears and the heart. Tickets for the show are $15-$30 and, along with a great live video of Jai’s new single, “Psalm”, is available here.

Part of the Bhakti Yoga path of spiritual devotion, Kirtan has grown along with the explosive growth of the physical aspects of yoga that now has 36 million American practitioners. To share his lifelong journey in this yogic path, Jai has hosted his Kirtan Camps since 2003. The winter camp takes place in various exotic locations around the world, while the summer camp is held in Jai’s hometown of Fairfax, California, in Marin County. Jai will be joined by guest teachers Nubia Teixeira, Daniel Paul, and Prajna Vieira. Many of today’s leading Kirtan artists are alums of Jai’s Kirtan Camp, including Kirtan rapper MC Yogi, Santa Monica Kirtan luminaries Govind Das & Radha, Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band of New Orleans, San Francisco’s own Janet Stone and Stephanie Snyder, and so many others.

Summer Kirtan Camp is a training for those who aspire to lead Kirtan; those who wish to enhance their Yoga teaching with chanting; and those who simply wish to immerse themselves in the vast ocean of Bhakti. In this camp, Jai will share some of the many tools used in Bhakti practice. Attendees will leave this retreat with the inner experience and knowledge that they are able to dive into this world of devotion and sing and share their hearts with others.

More information on Summer Kirtan Camp is available here.

Experiential Meditation Film The Portal, Currently Screening Across the US and Australia to Enthusiastic Response, Launches The Portal App Today

11/18/2019 by Susan von Seggern

Sydney, Australia/New York City – The Portal, a new experiential film that demonstrates the effectiveness of mindful meditation by delving into six powerful personal stories of how the practice brought each of them out of crisis, announced their app launch at their New York City premiere last Friday November 15 at the Village East Cinema (the film’s run there is through November 21). The app is now available globally through the Apple App Store.

The app is designed to facilitate the audience’s ongoing journey into meditation and includes guided meditations, yoga sequences, podcasts, inspirational insights, and behind-the-scenes footage.

Filmed in the USA, Canada, Australia and a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, THE PORTAL is richly visual and sonically powerful. Mesmerizing cinematography and the raw intimate stories draw the audience in, while the immersive soundscape breaks ground in film history with its use of binaural beats in what is already an evocative score. These landscapes and textures become the sound and visual-scape for the app environment too.

“I believe real-time change is possible, and that through the poignant personal stories and ideas unfolding and weaving together in an immersive way we’ve got a portal to our greatest potential,” said the film’s director, Jacqui Fifer. “This project has been a catalyst for many of us involved and I’m seeing it jump-start a lot of other people too. In hindsight, I’ve spent my life preparing for it and watching many facets of myself emerge and harmonize in order to weave it together–the filmmaker, the musician, the dreamer, the feminine and so on–has been a fun process. I’d say it’s indicative of the times we’re living in, it’s the age of transformation, so to have tools that inspire us and help us move beyond the scars of our past and really come alive to what it is we are here to do is essential right now.”

The film focuses on six deeply moving stories from a diversity of viewpoints – from military veterans to scientists, humanitarians, high-performers and more, There is Ron ‘Booda’ Taylor—a retired US serviceman managing PTSD, Human Rights Expert Amandine Roche whose commitment to global peace took her on a quest for inner peace, Vietnamese refugee Due Quach who overcame developmental trauma through ‘mind hacking’, elite athlete Heather Hennessy who reinvented herself following a career-ending injury, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana who found freedom in the confines of a personal catastrophe, and neurosurgeon James R Doty MD who had to lose everything to find the meaning of life.

Supported by insights from three of the world’s foremost futurists—and a robot—the stories unfold as a beautiful, audiovisual spectacle that takes the viewer on their own mindfulness journey through the pain, joy and memory fragments of life. As THE PORTAL juxtaposes chaos with calm to provoke an emotional and psychological shift in the audience, experts Mikey Siegel, Dr. Julia Mossbridge, and Daniel Schmachtenberger unpack concepts that are emerging from the zeitgeist, inviting us to consider the bigger questions facing our society. How can we approach life in a new way? Is technology a tool for transformation? What does it mean to be human?

ENTER THE PORTAL
Making excellent use of these powerful mediums–film, book… and now app–THE PORTAL opens hearts and minds to an exciting vision for humanity transformed. Said producer and noted meditation leader Tom Cronin, “This is not sci-fi—this is real life. Humankind is staring into an abyss, yet within us all, we have the capability to bring ourselves (and our species) back from the brink. We’re part of a growing movement of game-changers to create a reimagined global future—I think people are ready for something different and technology can play a big role in uplifting us into a brighter future. This is why we created the app to help center people and guide them back to their inner space.”

In the spirit of the cinematic experience, the ENTER THE PORTAL App weaves a captivating and vibrant tapestry of technology, love, human potential, brain-hacking, stillness, and inner peace. Unique to the App experience is the addition of Movement to enhance what is an experiential and genre-defining approach to personal change and to accompany users on the next phase of their human evolution.

“It’s clear we just can’t play by the same old rules anymore when there’s an urgent need for meaning, connection, and harmony staring us in the face,” said Fifer, “We wanted to create a gateway to experience those missing pieces.”

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ABOUT TOM CRONIN
Tom Cronin a former finance expert with a longstanding successful track record in business, as well as meditation, is the founder of The Stillness Project, a global movement to inspire one billion people to sit in stillness, daily. He is passionate about reducing stress and chaos in people’s lives. Tom’s ongoing work in transformational leadership and cultivating inner peace through meditation takes him around the world presenting keynote talks in such countries as Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Mexico, and the USA; hosting retreats; mentoring clients across the globe; teaching in schools; writing books; hosting mindfulness courses in the corporate sector; and creating THE PORTAL film-book experience, all as part of his commitment to the current planetary shift.

ABOUT JACQUI FIFER
Jacqui Fifer has had a dynamic career in the film industry line producing such films as BETTER WATCH OUT (2016), The OSIRIS CHILD (2016) and INFINI (2015) as well as producing the multi-award-winning dramatic feature CONCEALED (2017). She also co-directed the 2012 and 2013 “Dones en Art” (Women and Film) festivals in Spain. An advocate of human capacity development, Jacqui is thrilled to turn her hand towards a subject that is close to her heart with THE PORTAL experience.

ABOUT SUPERHUMAN INTERNATIONAL (SHI)
SHI is pushing the boundaries with this unique and transformational hybrid feature film experience, The Portal. SHI is an Australian company registered in the state of New South Wales. Tom Cronin is the company director. The project qualifies with the Australian Documentary Foundation for tax concessions.

MANGURAMA BRINGS THE PORTAL TO THEATRES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

11/07/2019 by Susan von Seggern

Calm Your Mind, Open Your Heart, Transform The World
New feature documentary from meditation expert, Tom Cronin, takes an inside-out approach exploring how everyday people overcome challenging obstacles.

NEW YORK / LOS ANGELES (October 17, 2019) – Mangurama, a partnership between Abramorama and Giancarlo Canavesio’s Mangusta Productions announced today the North American theatrical run for Tom Cronin and Jacqui Fifer’s groundbreaking documentary THE PORTAL. The film will be released in theaters across North America starting November 1, 2019 (current list of dates is below).

“The time is certainly ripe for THE PORTAL,” stated Abramorama CEO Richard Abramowitz, “The film’s healing potential is exactly what we need at this moment.”

Directed and written by first-time Australian director, Jacqui Fifer, and written and produced by international meditation expert, Tom Cronin (The Stillness Project) the captivating film has inspired crowds throughout the world and audiences across North America will get their chance to experience THE PORTAL this fall.

“We’re thrilled to be working with the amazing team at Mangurama to help bring THE PORTAL to cinemas across North America,” said Cronin. “The film facilitates a collective shift on the planet that takes us into a new era of united living; it had to be groundbreaking, and unique.” THE PORTAL is truly a film for everyone. Its commercially viability raises the genre bar while remaining true to its core message,” Cronin continued.

Mangurama brings THE PORTAL, to theaters opening on November 1st at the Laemmle Monica Film Center in Los Angeles and on November 15th at The Village East Cinema in New York City with additional nationwide engagements below. The film will also be released in Australia and New Zealand around the same time.

THE PORTAL ASKS: As the doomsday clock ticks progressively louder: What would happen if 7 billion people meditated? Could it shift the trajectory of our planet?

THE PORTAL IS: An immersive, cinematic experience that answers the question: How can we really change the world?

Through heart-opening contemplation and shared experiences of transformation on a personal scale, with global implications, six ordinary people (and a robot) show how stillness and mindfulness can unlock personal change and ignite a planetary shift, providing hope to humankind.

“I believe real-time change is possible, and that through the poignant personal stories and ideas unfolding and weaving together in this way we’ve got a portal to our greatest potential,” said Fifer. “This project has been a catalyst for many of us and I’m seeing it jump-start a lot of other people too. I couldn’t have found a more perfect project for my first foray into feature docs and directing. I’ve spent my life preparing for this film, without realizing, and watching many facets of me emerge and harmonize in order to weave it together–the filmmaker, the musician, the dreamer, the feminine and so on–has been a fun process.”

Featuring an impressive and diverse cast and crew, led by people from all over the world and all walks of life from military veterans, to scientists, performers and more, There is Ron ‘Booda’ Taylor—a retired US serviceman managing PTSD, Human Rights Expert Amandine Roche whose commitment to global peace took her on a quest for inner peace, Vietnamese refugee Due Quach who overcame developmental trauma through ‘mind hacking’, elite athlete Heather Hennessy who reinvented herself following a career-ending injury, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana who found freedom in the confines of a personal catastrophe, and neurosurgeon James R Doty MD who had to lose everything to find the meaning of life.

Supported by insights from three of the world’s foremost futurists—and a robot—the stories unfold as a beautiful, audiovisual spectacle that takes the viewer on their own mindfulness journey through the pain, joy and memory fragments of life. As THE PORTAL juxtaposes chaos with calm to provoke an emotional and psychological shift in the audience, experts Mikey Siegel, Dr Julia Mossbridge, and Daniel Schmachtenberger unpack concepts that are emerging from the zeitgeist, inviting us to consider the bigger questions facing our society. How can we approach life in a new way? Is technology a tool for transformation? What does it mean to be human?

ENTER THE PORTAL
Supported by insights from three of the world’s foremost futurists and philosophers, THE PORTAL opens hearts and minds to an exciting vision for humanity transformed. Said Cronin, “This is not sci-fi—this is real life. Humankind is staring into an abyss, yet within us all we have the capability to bring ourselves (and our species) back from the brink. We’re part of a growing movement of game-changers to create a reimagined global future—I think people are ready for something different.”

THE PORTAL weaves a captivating and vibrant tapestry of technology, love, existentialism, human potential, brain-hacking, stillness and inner peace. It is an experiential and genre-defining approach to personal change as we embark on the next phase of human evolution.

Is an enlightened planet possible? Enter THE PORTAL and see. Screenings that are confirmed as of 10/24 are as follows:

City	Dates	Theater
Santa Monica, CA	11/1 – 11/7 (week)	Laemmle Monica Film Center
Berkeley, CA	11/3 (one day)	Rialto Cinemas Elmwood
Sebastopol, CA	11/4 (one day)	Rialto Cinemas Sebastopol
San Rafael, CA	11/4 (one day)	Smith Rafael Film Center
San Francisco, CA	11/5 (one day)	Roxie Theater
Portland, OR	11/6 (one day)	Cinema 21
Seattle, WA	11/7 (one day)	Landmark Crest Cinema Center
Bellingham, WA	11/8 (one day)	Pickford Film Center
Taos, NM	11/10 – 11/13 (4 days)	Taos Center for the Arts
Santa Fe, NM	11/10	The Screen
Camas, WA	11/11 & 11/14 (2 days)	Liberty Theatre
Anchorage, AK	11/14 (one day)	Bear Tooth Theatrepub
New York, NY	11/15 – 11/21 (week)	Village East Cinema
Philadelphia, PA	11/18 (one day)	Landmark’s Ritz Five
Boulder, CO	11/19 (one day)	Dairy Arts Center
San Diego, CA	11/20 (one day)	Landmark Hillcrest
State College, PA	11/20 (one day)	The State Theatre
Encinitas, CA	11/21 (one day)	La Paloma Theater
Long Beach, CA	11/23 & 11/24 (2 days)	Art Theatre of Long Beach
Miami Beach, FL	11/24 (one day)	O Cinema
Sedona, AZ	11/25 (one day)	Mary D. Fisher Theatre
South Burlington, VT	12/3 (one day)	Palace 9 Cinema
Nevada City, CA	12/15 (one day)	Nevada Theatre
Hopewell, NJ	12/24 (one day)	Hopewell Theater

Please note most of these screenings will feature post-film Q&As with the filmmakers and some will include some of the film’s subjects as well.

Click here to view the press kit

Click here for stills from the film

Click here to view the trailer

For more information on THE PORTAL, please visit www.entertheportal.com